Nutrition News

Nutritional Philosophy Redefined
By Dr. Jeff Bartlett

Our mission is to provide a realistic, self-guided solution to weight loss, and to help anyone who has the desire to improve their overall health. We feel it is important at this time that we re-define our nutritional philosophy here at curveshealthclub.com, and give our readers and members a clear and concise view of our nutritional recommendations.

First of all, we'd like to clarify that we do not advocate a no-carb diet. In the past, some people have had the misconception that we recommend avoiding all carbohydrates. On the contrary, we feel that there are many important complex carbohydrates that play a vital role in our health. However, with careful consideration, and substantial research, we do strongly recommend that one should avoid sugars, sweets, and refined flours as much as possible. Today, strong evidence has linked the North American obesity epidemic with an excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates. It is sad to say that obesity has now surpassed smoking as the number one cause of preventable deaths.

Secondly, we are aware that some members would be happier if we were to give more attention to the "low fat" and "low calorie" areas of nutrition and dieting. Although we do agree that there is a need for some recognition here, it is important to give a clear definition of which aspects of low fat and low calorie diets we do not agree with.

• In regards to a "low fat" diet, our major concern is that many fail to distinguish between healthy fats, such as omega-3 fats, and bad fats such as trans fats. Trans fats have been shown by many studies to cause various forms of disease whereas omega-3 fats have demonstrated an ability to prevent disease.
  
  
• The underlying concern we have with "low calorie" dieting is that consuming less then 1200 calories a day can and will set a dieter up for failure. In essence, by "starving" the body to lose weight, you will, in actual in fact, lower your metabolism, therefore impeding any long term weight loss and potentially harming your overall health. We do recommend eating 1 small meals every two hours (up to 6 meals per day), ensuring that your body receives the nutrients it depends on, and continually stimulating your metabolism.
  
  
• The problem we've encountered in North America is that too many people are eating too many "empty carbs" like sugar and white flour, which in essence is causing too much insulin to be released into the body. Insulin is the number one fat storing hormone.

We have some general nutrition recommendations that can help you can build your own nutritional philosophy, and we're always here to help support and guide you to your health and weight loss goals. Our nutritional philosophy is built on a few core principles that are time tested and true:

1. When consuming meats or dairy, it is very important that it comes from "grass-fed organic" animals. Hormones given to meat and dairy cattle create a surplus of estrogen in humans—which is connected to cancer and auto-immune problems. Antibiotics in animal feed contribute to antibiotic resistance in humans that ingest these animals.

2. Get more greens! When consuming vegetables and fruits…again, organic and non-genetically modified (non GMO) is the best! Pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified (GMO) produce have been directly linked to cancer and auto-immune disorders in animals and humans. An organic "powdered greens" supplement is a great addition to any diet.

3. Reduce sugars, sweets, starches, and refined grains. On the other hand, we recommend consuming lots of low glycemic carbohydrates (high in fiber); try dark green leafy vegetables, berry-fruits, nuts, beans, legumes, and seeds.

4. Not all fats are bad! Please see the articles "The Skinny on Fats, Parts 1 & 2" located on our website.

5. Drink plenty of water. Spring water or reversed osmosis purified water (which has the chlorine removed) is best! Yes, if you can believe it, we are a dehydrated nation. Drink 8-10 glasses per day. Quite often people believe themselves to be hungry, when in fact they are simply dehydrated. So the next time you feel like digging into that chocolate bar, try a bottle of water instead, and see if that satisfies your craving.

6. Eat 6 smaller meals per day to raise your metabolism. In other words, eating less is not the right way to lose weight! As we mentioned earlier, eat every 2 hours. Yes, we are saying you need to eat smaller portions more often to lose weight, ensuring that you are eating the right types of nutrient-rich foods.

7. Consistently take your vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and homeostatic soil organisms (or HSO's) supplements. (Available at Whole Foods or health food stores).

8. Six days on, 1 day off! This means for 6 days we recommend eating extremely healthy, high performance foods and for 1 day (yes) we recommend treating yourself to your favorite pleasure foods. This is a guaranteed way to stay on track while still enjoying your favorite treats.

Take some time to create a nutritional outline for yourself… some rules to guide you. Write them down and post them along with your goals, or in your daytimer. Make sure that they are visible to you on a regular basis until you have developed a new set of nutritional habits.